New Watford signing Craig Dawson has opened up of the impact of goalkeeper Ben Forster in his move to Vicarage Road from West Brom during the summer transfer window.

The pair were teammates for several years at West Brom between 2011 and 2018, before Foster had made his own move back to Watford following the 2017/18 campaign, with the defender following suit earlier this year.

Dawson has now revealed that it was a discussion with the goalkeeper that helped convince him to make the move, while also appearing to suggest that the club's performances last season - which saw them finish 11th in the Premier League while reaching the FA Cup final - made the decision to make the move a fairly simple one.

Speaking to Watford's official website about his transfer, Dawson said: "When the opportunity came over the summer to sign for Watford it was a pretty easy decision.

"Last season the lads did really well in the league and reaching the FA Cup final made it a great year for them. It’s a very exciting squad with a great coach, and it was a brilliant opportunity for me."

Discussing the part Foster himself played in convincing him to make the move, Dawson added: "Fozzy’s notoriously difficult to get hold of during the summer as he’s always out and about on his bike, but I managed to speak to him and obviously he had great words to say about the club and the staff.

"In typical Fozzy style, he was so enthusiastic and I could tell he really loved it here. I have good trust in him and that made it an even easier decision."

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Dawson has featured in all four of Watford's league games this season, with the Hornets picking up just a single point from those outings, leaving them bottom of the division heading into the first international break of the season.

The Baggies meanwhile are fourth in the Championship after winning three and drawing three of their first six games of the league campaign.

The Verdict

This will be a frustrating one for West Brom.

Losing a player as important as Dawson will have been difficult to take as it is, particularly given the injury that has kept Ahmed Hegazi out of the starting lineup so far this season.

The fact that it was one of their former players in Foster who played a part in helping this move happen, only feels as though it will rub salt into the wounds further.

That being said, the way that these two side's respective seasons have been going so far may be proving a rather pleasing consolation for the Baggies right now.